This is a question that comes up for many oil and gas employees in Texas—and for shift workers in all kinds of industries across the nation. If your employer requires that you attend a quick meeting before your shift begins, over your lunch hour, or after you’ve clocked out for the day, it should be a major sign that there is a problem.

Many employers in the oil and gas industry don’t take meetings seriously and don’t count team meetings or training sessions as “real work,” even though these sessions are mandatory. The time employees spend in these sessions isn’t paid, and in most cases, it isn’t even recorded. However, employers are legally required to pay employees for all the time they spend at work or performing mandatory work-related duties. If your employer requires that you perform any unpaid work-related duties before your “real” work begins, there’s a very good chance that it is breaking the law—and you may be able to recover the unpaid wages and overtime pay you are entitled to for that time.

Holding Employers Responsible for Unpaid Wages and Overtime

Many workers immediately turn to the Department of Labor to recover their unpaid wages, but these claims are often settled for far less than they are worth. Although most workers are happy to simply receive some portion of the wages they were illegally denied, the law allows workers to seek additional damages to help hold employers responsible for ignoring the law. For more answers and information about maximizing your claim for unpaid wages, schedule a free, no-obligation case review with our experienced Houston legal team today.